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Simple, Budget-Friendly Dinners with a Can of Tuna

Canned tuna is delicious, filling, nutritious, and affordable—in other words, the perfect ingredient to build a meal around. Here are our favorite ways to turn a can of tuna into dinner.

This is huge news for dinner, which has to happen every night no matter how tired and stressed you are. If you’ve got a couple cans of tuna kicking around the cupboard, you can whip up something in a hurry without yet another trip to the store. These are our top budget-friendly ways to turn a can of tuna into a hearty dinner.

Mom’s Favorite Tuna Noodle Casserole

Old-school tuna noodle casserole is overdue for a comeback. This version is as classic as it gets: Egg noodles, tuna, and peas, baked with a rich creamy sauce until bubbling hot, with a shower of crunchy breadcrumbs for good measure. There’s no chopping required, so the hardest part is boiling the noodles and opening some cans.

Jalapeño Tuna Salad

If you have a hard time getting excited about tuna salad, try this spicy twist on the classic. Fresh diced jalapeños add a little bit of crunch and a whole lot of heat. You’ll likely want to eat this straight from the bowl, but we hear it also makes a killer tuna melt.

Classic Tuna Melt

The humble tuna melt is an underrated budget dinner hero. It’s creamy and cheesy enough to feel like a treat, and you need just a couple minutes and some pantry staples to make it happen. After a long, stressful day, that’s pretty hard to beat.

Quick and Easy Zucchini Tuna Patties

Zucchini fritters are a delicious, easy way to get your veggies. Adding protein-packed tuna makes them a little heftier. Savory, filling, and super simple to make, these patties are as good for dinner tonight as they are for lunch tomorrow.

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